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SECRET SOCIETIES: 

A DISCUSSION OF THEIR CHARACTER 
AND CLAIMS, 

BY 

REV. DAVID MACDILL, 

JONATHAN BLANCHARD, D.D., 

and" 

EDWARD BEECHER, D.D. 



•' Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather 
reprove thfin."— Eph. v: 11. 



PITTSBURGH: 

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

No. 93 Third street. 

1867. 



HSi?/ 







Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1SG7, by the 

WESTERN TEACT AND BOOK SOCIETY, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Uuited States, for the 
Southern District of Ohio. 



Univ. of Mieh. 
MOV 2 3 1033 



STEKEOTYPED AT THE 

FRANKLIN TYPE FOUNDRY, 

CINCINNATI, 0. 



CONTENTS 



L 
A TREATISE BY REV. D. MACDILL. 

Chapter I. THEIR ANTIQUITY. 

Chapter II. THEIR SECRECY. 

Chapter III. OATHS AND PROMISES. 

Chapter IV. PROFANENESS. 

Chapter V. THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 

Chapter VL FALSE CLAIMS. 

IL 

SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 

By Jonathan Blanchard, D.D. 

III. 

REPORT TO CONGREGATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 

ILLINOIS. By Edward Beecher, D. D. 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 



CHAPTER I. 

THEIR ANTIQUITY. 



1. SECRET-associations are of very ancient origin. 
They existed among the ancient Egyptians, Hin- 
doos, Grecians, Romans, and probably among nearly 
all the pagan nations of antiquity. This fact, how- 
ever, is neither proof of their utility nor of their 
harmlessness. Slavery, despotism, cruelty, drunken- 
ness, falsehood, and all sorts of sins and crimes have 
been practiced from time immemorial, but are none 
the less to be reprobated on that account. 

2. The facts that these associations had no exist- 
ence among the Israelites, who, alone of all the an- 
cient nations, enjoyed the light of Divine revelation, 
and that they originated and nourished among the 
heathen, who were vain in their imaginations ; whose 
foolish heart was darkened, and whom God gave 
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own 
hearts (Rom, i: 21-24), is a presumptive proof 

(5) 



6 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



that their nature and tendency are evil. We do 
not claim that all the institutions among God's an- 
cient people were right and good; nor that every 
institution among the heathen was sinful and in- 
jurious; still, that which was so popular among 
those whom the Bible declares to have been filled 
with all unrighteousness ; that which was so pleasing 
to men whom God had given over to a reprobate 
mind and to vile affections (Rom. i : 26-28) ; that 
which made a part of the worship which the ig- 
norant heathen offered up to their unclean gods, 
and which was unknown among God's chosen peo- 
ple, is certainly a thing to be viewed with sus- 
picion. A thing of so bad origin and so bad ac- 
companiments we should be very slow to approve. 
The fact that many good men see no evil in secret 
societies, and that many good men have been and 
are members of them, is more than counterbalanced 
by the fact that many good men very decidedly dis- 
approve of them, and that, from time immemorial, 
men of vile affections and reprobate minds, men 
whose inclinations and consciences were perverted 
by heathenish ignorance and error, and by a cor- 
rupt and abominable religion, have been very fond 
of them. 

3. Doubtless the authors and conductors of the 
ancient mysteries made high pretensions, just as do 



THEIR ANTIQUITY. 7 

the modern advocates of secret societies. Perhaps 
the original design of the ancient mysteries was to 
civilize mankind and promote religion j^that is, pa- 
gan superstition. But whatever may have been the 
design of the authors of them, it is certain that 
they became schools of superstition and vice. 
Their pernicious character and influence were so 
manifest that the ancient Christian writers almost, 
uuiversally exclaimed against them. (Leland's Chr. 
Rev., p. 223.) Bishop Warburton, who, in his "Di- 
vine Legation," maintains that the ancient mysteries 
were originally pure, declares that they " became 
abominably abused, and that in Cicero's time the 
terms mysteries and abominations were almost sy- 
nonymous." The cause of their corruption, this 
eminent writer declares to be the secrecy with which 
they were performed. He says : " We can assign 
no surer cause of the horrid abuses and corruptions 
of the mysteries than the season in which they were 
represented, and the profound silence in which 
they were buried. Night gave opportunity to 
wicked men to attempt evil actions, and the secrecy 
encouragement to repeat them." (Leland's Chr. 
Rev., p. 194.) It seems to have been of these an- 
cient secret associations that the inspired Apostle 
said, "It is a shame even to speak of those things 
which are done in secret." (Eph. v: 12.) 



8 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



4. In view of these facts, the antiquity of secret 
societies is no argument in their favor ; yet it is 
no uncommon thing to find their members tracing 
their origin back to the heathenish mysteries of 
the ancient Egyptians, Hindoos, or Grecians. (See 
Webb's Freemason's Monitor, p. 39.) Since the 
ancient mysteries were so impure and abominable, 
those who boast of their affinity with them must 
be classed with them of whom the Apostle says, 
u Their glory is in their shame" (Phil, iii : 19.) 



THEIR SECRECY. 9 



CHAPTER II. 

THEIR SECRECY. 

1. One of the objectionable features of all the 
associations of which we are writing is their secrecy. 
We do not say that secrecy is what is called an evil 
or sin in itself. Secrecy may sometimes be right 
and even necessary. There are family secrets 
and secrets of State. Sometimes legislatures and 
church courts hold secret sessions. It is admitted 
that secrecy in such cases may be right; but this 
does not prove that secrecy is always right. The 
cases above-mentioned are exceptional in their 
character. For instance, a family may very prop- 
erly keep some things secret; but were a family 
to act on the principle of secrecy, they would 
justly be condemned, and would arouse suspicions 
in the minds of all who know them. Were a 
family to endeavor to conceal every thing that 
is said and done by the fireside; were they to in- 
vent signs, and grips, and passwords for the pur- 
pose of concealment; were they to admit no one 
under their roof without exacting a solemn oath 



10 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



or promise that nothing seen or heard shall be 
made known, every one would say there is some- 
thing wrong. So, too, if a church court would 
always sit in secret ; wer,e none but members at any 
time admitted; were all the members bound by sol- 
emn promises or oaths to keep the proceedings se- 
cret, and were they to employ signs, grips, and 
passwords, and to hold up horrid threats, in order 
to secure concealment, such a church court would 
lose the confidence of all men whose esteem is of 
any value. Such studious and habitual concealment 
would damage the reputation of any family or 
church court in the estimation of all sensible peo- 
ple. The same result would follow in case a Leg- 
islature would endeavor, as a general thing, to* con- 
ceal its proceedings. As to State secrets, they 
generally pertain to what is called diplomacy; and 
even in straightforward, manly diplomacy there is 
generally no effort at concealment. In our own 
country, Congress very often asks the President for 
information in regard to the negotiations and cor- 
respondence of the Executive Department with for- 
eign governments, and almost always the whole 
correspondence asked for is laid before Congress 
and published to the couutry. It is very seldom 
that the President answers the call with a declara- 
tion that the public welfare requires the corre- 



THEIR SECRECY. 11 



spondence to be kept secret. Besides this, the 
concealment is only temporary. It is never sup- 
posed that the secrecy must be perpetual. It is 
true that many diplomatists — perhaps nearly all the 
diplomatists of Europe — do endeavor to cover up 
their doings from the light of day. It is also true 
that the secrecy and deceit of diplomatists have 
made diplomacy a corrupt thing. Diplomacy is re- 
garded by many as but another name for duplicity. 
Talleyrand, the prince of diplomatists, said " the 
design of language is to conceal one's thoughts. " 
This terse sentence gives a correct idea of the 
practice of secret negotiators. With regard, then, 
to State secrets, we remark that real statesmen do 
not endeavor to cover up their" doings in the dark, 
and that the practices of diplomatists, and the rep- 
utation they have for duplicity, are not such as 
should encourage individuals or associations to en- 
deavor to conceal their proceedings. We see noth- 
ing in the fact that there may be secrets of State 
to justify studied and habitual secrecy either in in- 
dividuals or associations. 

2. The impropriety of habitual concealment may 
be further illustrated. An individual who endeavors 
to conceal the business in which he is engaged, or 
the place and mode of carrying it on, exposes him- 
self to the suspicion of his fellow-men. People 



12 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



lose confidence in him. They feel that he is not a 
safe man. They at once suspect that there is 
something wrong. They do not ask or expect him 
to make all his business affairs public. They are 
willing that he should say nothing about many of 
his business operations. But habitual secrecy, con- 
stant concealment, unwillingness to tell either friend 
or foe what business he follows, or to speak of his 
business operations, will cause any man to be re- 
garded as destitute of common honesty, 'fhis fact 
shows that, in the common judgment of men, con- 
stant concealment is suspicious and wrong. Wher- 
ever it is practiced, men expect the development 
of some unworthy purpose. 

We regard secrecy just like homicide and other 
actions that in general are very criminal. To take 
human life, as a general thing, is a very great 
crime ; but it is right to kill a man in self-defense, 
and to take the life of a murderer as a punishment 
for his crime. The habitual concealment of one's 
actions is wrong, but it may be right at particular 
times and for special reasons. It is not a dread- 
fully wicked thing, like the causeless taking of 
human life, and may be justifiable much oftener 
and for less weighty reasons. Still habitual secrecy, 
or secrecy, except at particular times and for special 
is, according to the common judgment of 






THEIR SECRECY. 13 



men, suspicious and unjustifiable. Now, with secret 
societies secrecy is the general rule. They practice 
constant concealment. At all times and on all oc- 
casions must the members keep their proceedings 
secret. If an individual would thus studiously en- 
deavor to conceal his actions ; were he to throw the 
veil of secrecy over his business operations, refus- 
ing to speak to any of his fellow-men concerning 
them, he would justly expose himself to suspicion. 
His fellow-men would lose all confidence in his in- 
tegrity. If habitual secrecy on the part of an in- 
dividual, in regard to business matters, is confess- 
edly suspicious and wrong, it must be so, also, on 
the part of associations of men. There is less ex- 
cuse, indeed, for concealment on the part of a num- 
ber of men banded together than on the part of an 
individual. An individual working in the dark may 
do much mischief, but an association thus working 
can do much more. All those considerations which 
forbid individuals to shroud their actions in secrecy 
and darkness, and require them to be open, frank, 
and straightforward in their course, apply with 
equal or greater force to associations. 

3. In the case of secret societies, the reasons for 
concealment set the impropriety of it in a still 
stronger light. So far from there being any neces- 
sity or special reason to justify habitual secrecy in 



14 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



their case, we believe the very design of their secrecy 
to be improper and sinful. We present the follow- 
ing quotation from a book of high authority among 
those for whose benefit it was specially intended: 

" If the secrets of Masonry are replete with such 
advantages to mankind, it may be asked, Why are 
they not divulged for the general good of society ? 
To which it may be answered, were the privileges 
of Masonry to be indiscriminately bestowed, the 
design of the institution would be subverted, and, 
being familiar, like many other important matters, 
would soon lose their value and sink into disre- 
gard." — WehVs Freemason 's Monitor, p. 21. 

The same author intimates that the secrecy of 
Masonry is designed to take advantage of " a weak- 
ness of human nature." He admits that Masonry 
would soon sink into disregard if its affairs were 
generally known. Although this remark is made 
with special reference to the giddy and unthink- 
ing, yet it is certainly not the contempt of such 
persons which Masons fear. They would not care 
for the contempt of the giddy and unthinking, if 
they could retain the esteem of the thoughtful and 
wise. The real reason, then, for concealing the 
doings of Masons in their lodges, is to recommend 
thiDgs which, if generally known, would be regarded 
with contempt. The design of concealment in the 



THEIR SECRECY. 15 



case of other secret associations, we understand to 
be the same. The following is an extract from an 
address delivered at the national celebration of the 
fortieth anniversary of Odd-fellowship, in . New 
York, April 26, 1859, and published by the Grand 
Lods:e of the United States : 

" But even if we do resort to the aid of the mys- 
terious, to render our meetings attractive, or as a 
stimulant to applications for membership, surely 
this results in no injury to society or individ- 
uals." — Proceedings of Grand Lodge of United States , 
1859, Ap., p. 10. 

Here, again, it is pretty plainly hinted that the 
design of secrecy in the case of Odd-fellowship, is 
to invest it with unreal attractions, or, at least, with 
attractions which it would not possess, were the veil 
of concealment withdrawn. Here, again, as in Ma- 
sonry, it is virtually admitted that secrecy is designed 
to take advantage of " a weakness in human nature," 
and to recommend things which, if not invested with 
the attractions which secrecy throws around them, 
would sink into contempt. 

Doubtless the design of concealment in the case 
of other secret asssociations is the same. We are 
not aware that Good-fellows, Good Templars, Sons 
of. Temperance, and other similar associations, have 
any better reason for working, like moles, in the 



16 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



dark than Masons and Odd-fellows. There is, 
then, as it respects secret societies, no necessity for 
concealment — nothing to justify it. The real motive 
for it is itself improper and sinful. 

4. That the concealment of actions and princi- 
ples, either by individuals or associations, is incon- 
sistent with the teachings of the Bible, is, we think, 
easily shown. Thus our Savior, on his trial, de- 
clared : u l spake openly to the world; I ever taught 
in the synagogue, whither the Jews always resort; 
and in secret have I said nothing." (John xviii : 20.) 
An association which claims to be laboring in be- 
half of true principles, and for the moral and in- 
tellectual improvement of men, and yet conceals its 
operations under the impenetrable veil of secrecy, 
is certainly practicing in direct opposition to the 
example and teaching of the Son of God. 

Again: The concealment of our actions is con- 
demned in the words. of the Most High, as recorded 
by the prophet : " Woe unto them that seek deep to 
hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are 
in the dark; and they say. Who seeth us ? and who 
knoweth us? (Is. xxix : 15.) Those on whom a di- 
vine curse is thus pronounced are described as en- 
deavoring to hide their works in the dark. This 
description applies, most assuredly, to those associa- 
tions which meet only at night, and in rooms with 



THEIR SECRECY. 17 



darkened windows, and which require their mem- 
bers solemnly to promise or swear that they will 
never make known their proceedings. 

Again : The inspired apostle incidentally con- 
demns secret societies in denouncing the sins prev- 
alent in his own day : " And have no fellowship 
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather 
reprove them; for it is a shame to speak of those 
things that are done of them in secret." (Eph. v: 
11, 12.) It is not without reason that commenta- 
tors understand the shameful things done in se- 
cret, of which the apostle speaks, to be the 
" mysteries" of the "secret societies" which pre- 
vailed among the ancient heathen. They main- 
tained religious rites and ceremonies in honor of 
their imaginary deities, just as most modern u se- 
cret societies " make a profane use of the word and 
worship of God in their parades and initiations. 
He says it would be a shame to speak of the rites 
performed by the heathen in their secret associa- 
tions in honor of Bacchus and Venus, the god of 
wine and the goddess of lust, and of their other 
abominable deities. -But whether the apostle re- 
fers to the Eleusinian, Samothracian, and other pa- 
gan mysteries, or not, the principle of secrecy comes 
in for a share of his condemnation. 

The concealment practiced by " secret societies " 
2 



18 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



is inconsistent, also, with such declarations of the 
Bible as the following: " For every one that doetli 
evil hateth the light, neither comeih to the light, lest 
his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth 
truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be 
made manifest that they are wrought in God." (John 
iii: 20, 21.) u Let your light so shine before men 
that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
Father which is in heaven." These are the words 
of our Savior, and they certainly condemn the con- 
cealment practiced by secret associations, and all 
the means employed for that purpose — their signs, 
grips, and passwords; their shunning the light of 
day; their secret gatherings in the night, and in 
rooms with darkened windows ; the terrible oaths 
and solemn promises with which they bind their 
members to perpetual secrecy ; the disgraceful pun- 
ishments which they threaten to inflict on any 
member who will expose their secret doings — all 
these things are inconsistent with the spirit, if not 
the very letter, of the commands of our Savior 
quoted above. 

5. Besides, if the doings of these associations, in 
there secret meetings, are good, then it is in the 
violation of the express command of our Savior to 
keep them concealed; for he tells us to let others 
nee our good works. In case their doings are bad, 



THEIR SECRECY. 19 



it is, perhaps, uo violation of Christ's command to 
keep them hid; but. most certainly, such things 
ought not to be done at all. So far as the moral 
character of secret societies is concerned, it mat- 
ters not whether the transactions which they so 
studiously conceal are good or bad, sinless or 
wicked. If such transactions are good, the Savior 
commands that they be made known; if they are 
improper acd sinful, he commands us to have no 
fellowship with them. In either case secret asso- 
ciations are to be condemned as practicing con- 
trary to the teachings of the Bible. 

Hence, we conclude that the concealment so 
studiously maintained and rigidly enforced by the 
associations whose moral character we are consider- 
ing is condemned both by the common judgment 
of men and by the Word of God. 



20 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



CHAPTER III. 

THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 

1. Another serious objection to secret associa- 
tions is the profanation by them of the oath of 
God. We regard such profanation as the natural 
result of their secrecy. When associations of men 
endeavor to keep secret their operations from genera- 
tion to generation, they will not be willing to trust 
to the honor and honesty of their members. A 
simple promise of secrecy will not be deemed suf- 
ficient. Oaths or promises, with dreadful penalties, 
will very likely be required of all those who are 
admitted as members. Secret societies may, per- 
haps, exist without such oaths and promises. If 
the members of an association are few in number, 
or if the publication of its secrets would not be re- 
garded as very injurious to its interests, perhaps a 
simple promise of secrecy will be regarded as suf- 
ficient ; but whenever an association endeavors to 
secure a numerous membership, and regards a dis- 
closure of its secrets as likely to damage its repu- 
tation or hinder its success, something more than a 






THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 21 



simple promise of secrecy will very likely be re- 
quired at the initiation of members. Accordingly, 
some secret associations, it is known, do employ 
awful sanctions in order to secure concealment. 
Even when the members of a secret order claim 
that they are not bound to secrecy by oath, but 
only by a simple promise, it will, perhaps, be found 
on- examination that that promise is, in reality, an 
oath. An appeal to God or to heaven, whether 
made expressly or impliedly, iu attestation of the 
truth of a promise or declaration, is an oath. Such 
an appeal may not be regarded as an oath in our 
civil courts, the violator of which would incur the 
pains and penalties of perjury ; yet certainly it is 
an oath according to the teachings of the Bible. 
Our Savior teaches that to swear by the temple, 
is to swear by God who dwelleth therein ; and that 
to swear by heaven, is to swear by the throne of 
God, and by him that sitteth thereon. (Matt, xx : 
23.) We find, also, that the words, " As the Lord 
liveth," is to be regarded as an oath. King David 
is repeatedly said to have sworn, when he used this 
form of expression, in attestation of his sincerity. 
(1 Sam. xx : 3; 1 Kings i: 29.) An appeal to 
God, whether direct or indirect, in attestation of 
the truth of a declaration or promise, is an oath. 
As we have already said, a secret association may 



22 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



exist without an oath. But we are not sure that 
any does. Odd-fellows have declared that they 
have no initiatory oath. In the address published 
by the Grand Lodge of the United States, referred 
to before, the following declaration is made: " No 
oath, as was once supposed, is administered to the 
candidate." (App. to Proceedings of Grand Lodge, 
1859, p. 10.) Yet Grosch, in his Odd-fellows' 
Manual, speaks of an " appeal to heaven " in the 
initiation, at least, into one of the degrees. (P. 306.) 
Perhaps the contradiction arises from a difference 
of opinion in regard to what it takes to constitute 
an oath, or, perhaps, from the fact that an oath is 
required in initiations into some degrees, but not in 
others. However this may be, we know that some 
secret societies have initiatory oaths, and that nearly 
all administer what, in the sight of God, is an oath, 
though they may not so view it themselves. Nor 
do we see any reason to discredit the declaration of 
Grosch that the candidate " appeals to heaven." 

2. Now, the taking of an initiatory oath is, to say 
the very least of it, of doubtful propriety. Every 
one who does so swears by the living God that he 
will forever keep secret things about which he 
knows nothing. The secrets of the association are 
not imparted to him until after he has sworn that 
lie will not reveal them. He is kept ignorant of 



THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 23 



them until the " brethren " are assured by his ap- 
peal to heaven that they can trust him. Now, the 
inspired apostle lays down the principle that a man 
sins when he does any thing about the propriety 
of which he is in doubt. He declares that the eat- 
ing of meats was in itself a matter of indifference, 
but that if any man esteem any thing unclean, to 
him it is unclean. He then makes the following 
declaration : " But he that doubteth is damned if 
he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatso- 
ever is not of faith is sin." (Rom. xiv: 22, 23.) 
According to this most emphatic declaration, we 
must have faith and confidence that what we do is 
right, else we are blameworthy. We sin whenever 
we do any -thing which is,* according to our own 
judgment, of doubtful propriety. The man who is 
initiated into an oath-bound society, swears that he 
will keep secret things about which he knows noth- 
ing — things which, for aught he knows, ought not 
to be kept secret. If the apostle condemned, in 
most emphatic language, the man who would do so 
trivial a thing as eat meat without assuring himself 
of the lawfulness of his doing so, what would he 
have said had the practice existed in his day of 
swearing by the God of heaven in regard to matters 
that are altogether unknown? To say the very 
least, such swearing is altogether inconsistent with 



24 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



that caution and conscientiousness which the Scrip- 
tures enjoin. The apostle also condemns the con- 
duct ,of those who u understand neither what they 
say nor whereof they affirm" (1 Tim. i : 7.) Does 
not his condemnation fall on those who know not 
about what they swear, nor whereof they appeal to 
heaven ? 

3. There is another objection to taking an initia- 
tory oath. We are expressly forbidden to take 
God's name in .vain. To pronounce God's name 
without a good reason for doing so is to take it in 
vain. Certainly, to swear by the name* of the liv- 
ing God demands an important occasion. To make 
an appeal to the God of heaven on some trifling 
occasion is a profanation of his oath and name. 
If the secrets of Masonry, Odd-fellowship, Good 
Templars, and similar associations, are unimportant, 
their oaths, appeals to heaven, and solemn prom- 
ises made in the presence of God are profane and 
sinful. Perhaps their boasted secrets are only signs, 
grips, pass-words, and absurd rites of initiation. To 
swear by the name of the Lord about things of this 
kind is certainly a violation of the third command- 
ment. The candidate does not knoio that the secrets 
about to be disclosed to him are of any importance, 
and he runs the risk of using God's name and 
oath about light and trivial things. He must be 



THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 25 



uncertain whether there is any thing of importance 
in hand at the time of swearing, and how can he 
escape the disapproval of God, since the inspired 
Paul declares that the doubtful eater of meat is 
damned ? (Rom. xiv : 23.) 

4. We have already adverted to the fact that con- 
cealment is resorted to in order to take advantage 
of "a weakness in human nature," and to recom- 
mend things which, if known generally, would be 
disregarded. Is it right to use the name and oath 
of God for the accomplishment of such purposes? 
Is it right to use the name and oath of God in 
order to take advantage of "a weakness in human 
nature," and to invest with fictitious charms things 
which, if seen in the eie^r light of day, would be 
regarded with indifference or contempt? The tak- 
ing of oaths for such purposes, and under such cir- 
cumstances, will generally be avoided by those who 
give good heed to the command, " Thou shalt not 
take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for 
the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh 
his name in vain." 

5. "While we do not claim that there is any pas- 
sage of Scripture which expressly declares the ini- 
tiatory oaths under consideration to be profane and 
sinful, at the same time there are many passages 
which require us to beware how and when we swear : 



26 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



" But above all tilings, my brethren, swear not, neither 
by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other 
oath; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, 
lest ye fall into condemnation." (James v : 12.) Does 
not this command condemn those who swear to 
keep secret they know not what, and to fulfill ob- 
ligations which devolve upon them as members of 
an association, before they know fully what that as- 
sociation is, or what those obligations are? Should 
not every one consider himself admonished not to 
swear such an oath lest he fall into condemnation? 
Again: Our Savior says, " Swear not at all; neither 
by heaven, for it is God's throne ; nor by the earth, 
for it is his footstool ; neither by Jerusalem, for it 
is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou 
swear by thy head, because thou canst not make 
one hair white or black ; but let your communica- 
tion be yea, yea, nay, nay ; for whatsoever is more 
than these, cometh of evil." These words were 
spoken in condemnation of those who employed 
oaths frequently and on improper occasions. They 
should make every one hesitate in regard to swear- 
ing, in any form, on his initiation into an order the 
obligations and operations of which have not yet 
been revealed to him. Once more : " Be not rash 
with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter 
any thing before God, for God is in heaven and thou 









THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 27 



upon earth; therefore, let thy words he few" (Eccl. 
v: 2.) Is it not a rash tiling to bind one's self by 
the oath of God to keep secret things as yet un- 
known, or to bind one's self to conform to unknown 
regulations and usages ? In view of these declara- 
tions of the Word of God, it certainly would be 
well to avoid taking such oaths as generally are 
required of the members of secret associations at 
their initiation. 

6. The promise required of candidates at their in- 
itiation, whether there be an oath or not, is also, at 
least in many cases, improper and sinful. ^ For in- 
stance, the " candidate for the mysteries of Ma- 
sonry," previous to initiation, must make the declar- 
ation that he " will cheerfully* conform to all the 
ancient established usages and customs of the fra- 
ternity." (Webb's Freemason's Monitor, p. 34.) 
Grosch, in his Odd-fellows' Manual, directs the 
candidate at his initiation as follows : " Give your- 
self passively to your guides, to lead you whither- 
soever they will." (P. 91.) Again, in regard to 
initiation into a certain degree, he says : " The can- 
didate for this degree should be firm and decided 
m his answers to all questions asked him, and pa- 
tient in all required of him," etc. (P. 279.) In 
the form of application for membership, as laid 
down by Grosch, the applicant promises as follows : 



28 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



" If admitted, I promise obedience to the usages 
and laws of the Order and of the Lodge." (P. 378.) 
These declarations, by reliable authors, plainly 
show that both in Masonry and Odd-fellowship 
obligations are laid on members of which, at the 
time, they are ignorant. Candidates for Masonry 
must promise to conform, yes, " cheerfully conform 
to all the ancient established usages and customs 
of the fraternity." The application for member- 
ship in the association of Odd-fellows must be ac- 
companied by a promise of obedience to the usage! 
and laws both of the whole Order and of the lodge 
in which membership is sought. No man has a 
right to make such a promise until he has carefully 
examined the usages, and customs, and laws referred 
to. While he is ignorant of them, he does not know 
but some of them or all of them may be morally 
wrong. Before the candidate has been initiated, he 
has not had an opportunity of acquainting himself 
with all the laws, usages, and customs which he 
promises to obey. Is not such a promise con- 
demned by the divine injunction, " Be not rash 
with thy mouth?" Is not the man who promises 
to obey regulations, customs, and usages before he 
knows fully what they are as blameworthy as the 
doubtful eater of meats, who, the inspired apostle 
tells us, is damned for doing what he is not eonfi- 



THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 29 



dent is right? The candidate for initiation into 
Odd-fellowship must " give himself passively to 
his guides." Such demands indicate the spirit 
which secret associations require of their members. 
They must surrender the exercise of their own 
judgment, and permit themselves to be blindly led 
by others. No man has a right thus to surrender 
himself passively to the guidance of others. Every 
man is bound to act according to his own judgment 
and conscience. Before a man promises to obey 
any human regulations, or to conform to any usage 
or custom, he is bound to know what that regula- 
tion, usage, or custom is, and to see that it is mor- 
ally right. To do otherwise is to sin against con- 
science and the law of God. 

7. Besides this, the promise to " preserve mys- 
teries inviolate," made before they have been made 
known to the promiser, is condemned by sound 
morality. He may have heard the declaration of 
others that there is nothing wrong in " the mys- 
teries," but this is not sufficient to justify him. A 
man is bound to exercise his own reason and con- 
science in regard to all questions of morality. 

Nq man has a right, at any time, to lay aside 
his reason and conscience and allow himself to be 
"guided passively" by others. Every man is 
bound to see and decide for himself in every case 



30 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



of duty and morals. We should not let the church 
of Christ even decide for us in such matters, much 
less some association, composed, it may be, of infi- 
dels, Mormons, Jews, Mohammedans, and all sorts 
of men except atheists. (See pages 37, 31.) A 
band of such men may have secrets very immoral 
in character, and which it would be a violation of 
God's law to preserve inviolate. To promise before- 
hand that any a mysteries" which they may see fit 
to enact and practice shall be forever concealed, is 
to trifle with conscience and morality. It is use- 
less to plead that a member can withdraw as soon 
as he discovers any thing wrong in the regulations 
and usages which he is required to obey. Every 
one who joins such an association as those under 
consideration must make up his mind to do so be- 
fore he knows what " the mysteries " are, and he 
must promise (either with or without an oath) that 
he will preserve them inviolate before " the breth- 
ren " will intrust them to him. The possibility of 
dissolving his connection with the association after- 
ward does not exonerate him of promising to do 
he knows not what — of laying aside his own con- 
science and reason, and yielding himself " pas- 
sively " to others. The promise N of secrecy and of 
obedience to unknown regulations and customs, 
required at the initiation of candidates into such 






THEIR OATHS AND PROMISES. 31 



associations as we are considering, is, therefore, 
a step in the dark. It involves the assuming of 
an obligation to do what may be morally wrong, 
and is, therefore, inconsistent with the teachings 
of the Word of God and the principles of sound 
morality. 



32 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THEIR PROFANENESS. 

1. Another evil connected with secrecy, as 
maintained by the associations the character of 
which is now under consideration, is the profane 
use of sacred things in ceremonies, celebrations, 
and processions. This evil has, perhaps, no neces- 
sary connection with secrecy, but has generally in 
fact. The "secret societies" of antiquity dealt 
largely in religious ceremonies. It is the frequent 
boast of Masons, Odd-fellows, and others, that 
their associations correspond to those of ancient 
times. There is, indeed, a correspondence between 
them in the use of religious rites. Those of an- 
cient times employed the rites of heathenish super- 
stition ; those of modern times are, perhaps, as 
objectionable on account of their prostituting the 
religion of Christ. The holy Bible, the word of 
the living God, is used by Masons as a mere em- 
blem, like the square and compass. The pot of in- 
cense, the holy tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, 
the noly miter, and the holy breastplate are also 






THEIR PROFANENESS. 33 



employed as emblems, along with the lambskin and 
the sword pointing to a naked heart. At the open- 
ing of lodges and during initiations, passages of 
Scripture are read as a mere ceremony, or as a 
charge to the members in regard to their duty as 
Masons. Thus a perverse use of holy Scripture is 
made in the application of it to matters to which 
it has no reference whatever. (Freemason's Mon- 
itor, pp. 92, 19-181). Even the great Jehovah is 
represented in some of their ceremonies by symbols. 
His all-seeing eye is represented by the image of a 
human eye. (Freemason's Monitor, pp. 85, 290.) 
Masonry also profanes the name and titles of God. 
God alone is to be worshiped ; he alone should be 
addressed as the Most Worshipful Being. But Ma- 
sonry requires the use of such language as follows : 
"The Most Worshipful Grand Master," and "The 
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge." God alone is 
Almighty, but Masons have their " Thrice Illus- 
trious and Grand Puissant," and their u Thrice Po- 
tent Grand Master." God alone is perfect, but 
Masons have a " Grand Lodge of Perfection " and a 
" Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Mason." (Mon- 
itor, pp. 187, 219 ; Monitor of Free and Accepted 
Rite, pp. 52.) Christ is the great High Priest, and 
Aaron and his successors were his representatives, 
but Masons have a " Hmh Priest " a " Grand Hiah 



34 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



Priest," yea, a " Most Excellent Grand High Priest." 
At the installation of this so-called High Priest, 
various passages of Scripture treating of the priest- 
hood of Melchisedec and of Christ are used. 
(Webb's Monitor, pp. 178-181, 187.) 

We regard these high-sounding titles as ridicu- 
lous, and as well calculated to excite derision and 
scorn ; but we do not now treat of them in that 
regard. We call attention, at present, to the em- 
blems and titles used by Masons as profane. God 
did not intend his holy Word, and the Tabernacle, 
and the Ark of the Covenant, and the Breastplate, 
to be used as the symbols of Masonry. These and 
other holy things were intended only for holy pur- 
poses. To use them as the Masons do is to per- 
vert and profane them. The visible representation 
of the all-seeing eye of God is certainly a species 
of idolatry, and is forbidden by the second com- 
mandment. Such, also, are the triangles, declared 
to be "a beautiful emblem of the eternal Jehovah." 
(Monitor, p. 290.) The Israelites, of course, did 
not understand that the Divine Being was really 
like their golden calf; they considered it a symbol 
of Deity. How much better is it to assimilate 
God to a triangle than to a calf? The difference is 
just this: the latter idea is more gross than the 
former. The sin of idolatry — that is, of representing 






THEIR PROFANENESS. 35 



God under a visible figure — is involved in both cases. 
The profaneness of the titles mentioned above must 
at once be evident to every reverent, considerate 
mind. They are such as in the Bible are ascribed 
only to God and to Christ. Indeed, Masons give 
more exalted titles to their sham priest than the 
Scriptures employ to describe the character and 
office of the great High Priest who is "rnade 
higher than the heavens/' If this is not profane, 
we are at a loss to know what can be profane. 

2. The Odd-fellows in profanation of holy 
things go about as far as the Masons. They em- 
ploy "the brazen serpent," "the budded rod of 
Aaron," "the Ark of the Covenant," "the breast- 
plate for the high priest," and other holy things 
as emblems of their order, along with "the shining 
sun," " the half moon," etc. They have their " Most 
Worthy Grand Master," and their "Most Excellent 
Grand High Priest," and other officers designated 
by titles which should be given to God and Christ 
alone. Indeed, as it respects emblems and titles, 
Masonry seems to be the example which other se- 
cret associations have followed. In regard to the 
profanation of holy things, the difference between 
most of the secret associations in our land is one 
merely of degree. This profanation of the word, 
name, and titles of God is certainly sinful in itself, 



36 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



and very injurious in its effects. What kind of 
ideas of God, and Christ, and heaven must persona 
have who conceive and think of God under the 
figure of three triangles : of Christ and his priest- 
hood as symbolized by "the Most Excellent Grand 
High Priest," officiating amid the tomfooleries of 
Masonry and Odd-fellowship ; and of heaven as a 
Grand Lodge-room. What ideas of the Divine 
Majesty and Glory must they have who are accus- 
tomed to give to the officers of a secret association, 
and to men who are, perhaps, destitute of faith 
and holiness, and who may be Jews, Turks, or infi- 
dels, as grand titles as the Scriptures give to the 
God of heaven and the Savior of the world. Be- 
sides it is very improper and sinful to give to 
mere men the titles and glory which are due to 
God alone. We learn that it was precisely for 
this sin that the Divine displeasure was visited upon 
king Herod. On a certain occasion, having put on 
his royal apparel, he sat on his throne and made a 
public oration. The people who heard him shouted 
and said, u It is the voice of a God and not of a 
man; and immediately the angel of the Lord smote 
him, because he gave not God the glory; and he teas 
eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost." (Acts xii: 
23.) It was for the same spirit of self-glorification 
that the king of Babylon was punished with mad* 






THEIR PROFANENESS. 37 



ness and disgrace. Nebuchadnezzar walked ir his 
palace, and said : "Is not this great Babylon, which 
I have built for the house of iny kingdom by the 
might of my power, and for the honor of my maj- 
esty?" The same hour he was driven from men, 
and did eat grass as oxen; and his body was wet 
with the clew of heaven, till his hairs were grown 
like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' 
claws. (Dan. iv : 30—33.) ( 

2. Another objectionable feature of many secret 
societies is, that they profane the ivorship of God. 
They claim (at least those which seem to embrace 
the most numerous membership) to be, in some 
sense, religious associations. . They maintain forms 
of worship ; their rituals contain prayers to be 
used at initiations, installations, funerals, consecra- 
tions, etc. They receive into membership, as we 
shall afterward see, almost all sorts of men except 
atheists. Being composed of Jews, Turks, Mo- 
hammedans, Mormons, and infidels, as well as of 
believers in Christianity, they endeavor to estab- 
lish such forms as will be acceptable to their mon- 
grel and motley membership. Hence their prayers 
and other forms of worship are such as may be 
consistently used by the irreligious and by in- 
fidels, and only by them. We do not say that.no 
Christian prayers are offered up in Masonic lodges. 



38 SECRET SOCIETIES, 



No doubt some godly men, as chaplains, offer up 
extempore prayers in the name of Christ; . but 
such prayers are not Masonic. They are not au- 
thorized by the Masonic ritual; they are contrary 
to the spirit if not to the express regulations of 
Masonry. Any member would have a right to ob- 
ject to them, and his objections would have to be 
sustained. The only prayers which Masonry does 
authorize, and can consistently authorize, are Christ- 
less — infidel prayers and services. The proof of 
this declaration can be found in every Masonic 
manual. (See Webb's Monitor, pp. 36, 80, 189, 
and Carson's Monitor, of the Ancient and Accepted 
Rite, pp. 47, 61, 95, 99.) In all the prayers thus 
presented, the name of Christ is excluded; it is 
excluded even from the prayers to be offered at 
the installation of the. "Most Excellent Grand 
High Priest." (Webb's Mom, pp. 183, 189.) The 
idea of human guilt is, also, almost entirely ex- 
cluded from these prayers; the idea of pardon 
through the atonement of Christ is never once 
presented in them. In the prayer to be used at 
the funeral of a u Past Master," it is declared that 
admission unto God's " everlasting kingdom is the 
just reward of a pious and virtuous life." Every 
true Christian, on reflection, must see that such 
prayers are an insult to the Almighty. They are 






THEIR PROFANENESS. 39 






just sucli as infidels and all objectors of Christ 
may offer. 

The prayers of the society of Odd-fellows are 
equally objectionable. In respect to the character of 
their religious services, they are to be classed with 
the Masons. Odd-fellowship knows no God but 
the god of the infidel; it recognizes the Creator 
of the Universe and the Father of men, but not 
the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
The name of Christ has no more a place in the re- 
ligion of Odd-fellowship, according to its principles 
and regulations, than in a heathen temple or an 
infidel club-room. It is quite likely that some- 
times chaplains, officiating in the lodge-room, pray 
in the name of Christ; but a Turk, according to 
the principles and regulations of Odd-fellowship, 
would have just as much right to pray in the 
name of Mohammed, or a Mormon in the name of 
Joe Smith. These are facts which, we presume, 
all acquainted with the forms and ceremonies in 
use among Odd-fellows will admit. Grosch, in his 
Manual, makes the following declaration: "The 
descendants of Abraham, the divers followers of 
Jesus, the Pariahs of the stricter sects, here gather 
round the same altar as one family, manifesting no 
differences of creed or worship; and discord and 
contention are forgotten in works of humanity and 



40 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



peace." (Pp. 285, 286.) This declaration has ref- 
erence, of course, to all the members of the asso- 
ciations — believers in Christianity, Jews, Moham- 
medans, Indians, Hindoos, and infidels. How do 
they manage to worship so lovingly together in the 
lodge-room? Our author asserts that they "leave 
their prejudices at the door." Of course their 
forms of worship embody no " prejudices." The 
thing is managed in this way : Whatever is peculiar 
to Judaism is excluded from the ritual and worship 
of Odd-fellows ; whatever is peculiar to Hindooism is 
excluded ; whatever is peculiar to Mohammedanism 
is excluded ; whatever is peculiar to Christianity is 
excluded ; whatever is peculiar to any form of re- 
ligion is excluded. Only so much as is held in 
common by Jews, Hindoos, Mohammedans, and 
Christians is allowed a place in the ritual and wor- 
ship of Odd-fellows. But how much is held in 
common by these various classes? After every 
thing peculiar to each class has been thrown over- 
board, how much is left? Nothing but deism or 
infidelity. The only views held in common by 
the Jew, Mohammedan, Christian, and others are 
just those held by infidels. The religion of Odd- 
fellowship is infidelity, and its prayers are infidel 
prayers. 

ifot only such are the prayers and religion of 



THEIR PROFANENESS. 41 



Masonry and Odd -fellowship, but such must be the 
religion and prayers of all associations organized 
on their principles. The only way to welcome all 
of every creed, Jew, Mohanmiedan, Hindoo, etc., 
and make them feel at home in an association, is to 
exclude every thing offensive to the conscience or 
prejudices of any one of them. And when every 
thing of that sort has been excluded, the residuum, 
in every case, as every one must see,, will be deism 
or infidelity. This is a serious matter. Christians 
are not free from guilt in countenancing such 
prayers and services. The tendency of such relig- 
ious performances must be very injurious. Who- 
ever adopts the religious, or rather irreligious, spirit 
and principles of Masonry, Odd-fellowship, and other 
similar associations must discard Christianity and 
the Bible. No doubt there are some, perhaps there 
are many Christians in connection with such asso- 
ciations, but they certainly do not and can not ap- 
prove the Christless prayers of the lodge-room, 
much less join in them. Is it right for the disci- 
ples of Jesus, or even for believers in Christianity, 
as the great majority of people in this country are, 
to sustain any association which puts Christianity 
on a level with pagan superstition, which treats 
Jesus Christ with no more regard and venera- 
tion than it does Mohammed, Confucius, or Joe 



42 SECRET SOCIETIES, 



Smith, and whose only religion is the religion of 
infidels? 

If secret associations did not pretend to have any 
religion or any religious services, but would, like bank 
and railroad companies, conduct their affairs without 
religious forms, it would be infinitely better. 



THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 43 



CHAPTEK V. 

THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 

1. Another objection which may be urged 
against secret societies in general, is their selfish 
exclusiveness. 

It is well known that the Christian religion has 
often been subjected to reproach by the bigotry 
and sectarianism of its professors. If the Bible 
inculcated bigotry aod sectarianism, it would be a 
well-founded objection to Christianity itself; but 
Christianity is eminently catholic and democratic, 
and is diametrically opposed to an exclusive and 
partisan spirit. The command of Christ to his 
church is to make no distinction on account of 
class or condition, but to receive all, and especially 
to care for the poor, the unfortunate, the oppressed, 
the blind, the lame, the maimed, and the diseased. 
Sometimes men calling; themselves Christians act so 
directly contrary to the impartial, catholic spirit 
and teachings of Christ as to render themselves 
unworthy of all sympathy and encouragement ; but 
the exclusiveness of secret societies is, we think, 



44 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



unparalleled in our day for its selfishness and 
meanness. They claim to be charitable and benev- 
olent institutions; they assert that membership in 
them confers great honors and advantages ; they 
profess (at least many of them) to act on the prin- 
ciple of the universal brotherhood of men and 
fatherhood of God. (Moore's Con. of Freema- 
sonry, p. 125; Webb's Monitor, pp. 21, 51; Pro- 
ceedings of Odd-fellows' Grand Lodge of United 
States, 1859, App., p. 6.) We say nothing now 
about the" falsity of these claims and professions ; 
but we assert that, even admitting the boasted hon- 
ors and advantages enjoyed by members of secret 
associations, such associations are eminently exclu- 
sive and selfish. Of this proposition there is 
abundant proof. 

2. The Masons utterly refuse to admit as mem- 
bers women, slaves, persons not free-born, and 
persons having any maim, defect, or imperfection 
in their bodies ; or, at least, the principles of Ma- 
sonry forbid the admission of all such persons. 
(Masonic Constitutions, published by authority of 
the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Art. 3 and 4.) Moore, 
editor of the Masonic Review, in his Ancient 
Charges and Regulations of Freemasonry, in com- 
menting on the articles above referred to, makes 
the following declarations : '" The rituals and cere- 



THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 45 



monies of the order forbid the presence of women;" 
and " the law proclaiming her exclusion is as un- 
repealable as that of the Medes and Persians." (P. 
145.) Again : " Masonry requires candidates for 
its honors to have been free by birth ; no taint of 
slavery or dishonor must rest upon their origin." 
(P. 143.) Once more this author remarks : " A 
candidate for Masonry must be physically perfect. 
As under the Jewish economy no person who was 
maimed or defective in his physical organism, 
though of the tribe of Aaron, could enter upon the 
office of a priest, nor a physically defective animal 
be offered in sacrifice, so no man who is not £ per- 
fect ' in his bodily organization can legally be made 
a Mason. We have occasionally met with men 
having but one arm or one leg, who in that condi- 
tion had been made Masons ; and on one or two 
occasions we have found those who were totally 
blind who had been admitted ! This is so entirely 
illegal, so utterly at variance with a law which 
every Mason is bound to obey, that it seems almost 
incredible, yet it is true." (P. 152.) It is, hence, 
seen that Masonry is very exclusive. • No woman 
can be a member. This regulation excludes at 
once one half of mankind from its boasted advan- 
tages. The oppressed slave is excluded ; the man 
born in slavery, though now free, is excluded ; the 



46 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



lame mau is excluded ; the man who has lost an 
eye is excluded; the mau who has lost a hand is 
excluded ; the man who has lost a foot is excluded ; 
the man on whose birth any taint of dishonor rests 
is excluded ; the man who is imperfect in body is 
excluded. No matter how good, patriotic, and wise 
such persons are, still they arc excluded ; no mat- 
ter how needy such persons are, still they are ex- 
cluded ; no matter though a man have lost a hand, 
or foot, or eye in defense of his country and lib- 
erty, still he is excluded ; no matter though a 
freedman, exhibiting bravery, and piety, and every 
virtue, still the " taint of slavery rests on his 
birth," he is excluded. Widows and orphans are 
excluded. 

" If a brother should be a rebel agaiust the state, 
the loyal brotherhood can not expel him from the 
lodge, and his relation to it remains indefeasible." 
(Moore's Constitutions, Art. 2.) A Mason may be 
engaged in a wicked rebellion, and may stain his 
soul and hands with innocent blood, and still he 
must be recognized as " a brother," and must con- 
tinue to enjoy all the boasted rights and advantages 
of the order ; but the patriot soldier who has 
been disabled for life in defense of his country 
and liberty is excluded. The widows and orphans 
of rebel Masons slain in battle, or righteously exe- 



THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 47 



cuted on the scaffold, must receive "the benefits ;" 
but the widows and orphans of patriot soldiers who 
did not choose to join the Masons, or were excluded 
by some bodily imperfection, or by wounds received 
in battle, are left to the charities of " the ignorant 
and prejudiced." The Jew, the Turk, the Hin- 
doo, the American savage, and the infidel (provided 
they are not atheists), are eligible to the boasted 
honors and advantages of Masonry. (Moore's Con- 
stitutions, pp. 119, 123.) But if a man have every 
intellectual gift and every moral virtue, and have 
some bodily imperfection, he is excluded. A man 
may be as gifted and as learned as Milton, as incor- 
ruptible and patriotic as Washington, and as benevo 
lent as Howard, but if he is physically imperfect he 
is excluded from this association, which claims to be 
no respecter of persons, but to be the patron of 
merit, and which professes to act on the principle 
of the universal brotherhood of men. 

3. Exclusiveness in about the same degree char- 
acterizes other secret societies. The Constitution 
of the Odd-fellows' Grand Lodge of Ohio provides 
that the candidate for membership must be " a free 
white person possessed of some known means of 
support and free from all infirmity or disease." 
(Art. 6, Sec. 1.) Substantially the same qualifica- 
tions for membership are required by the constitu- 



48 SECRET SOCIETIES, 



tions and laws of other secret associations. (Con- 
stitution of Ancient Order of Good-fellows, Art. 6, 
Sec. 1 ; Constitution of Improved Order of Red 
Men, Art. 5, Sec. 1 ; Constitution of United Ancient 
Order of Druids, Art. 8, Sec. 1.) 

4. Not only are these associations exclusive and 
selfish in regard to receiving members ; not only do 
they utterly refuse to admit a man, however good, 
and wise, and patriotic he may be, in case he is 
diseased or infirm, or is disabled by wounds in the 
service of his country, and is too poor and feeble 
to maintain himself and his family ; not only do 
they exclude all such persons from membership 
and from the boasted privileges, and honors, and 
pecuniary benefits pertaining thereto, but also their 
regulations in regard to their internal affairs man- 
ifest an unchristian, anti-republican, exclusive, self- 
ish spirit. For instance, Masons will not, and, 
indeed, according to thair regulations, can not, be- 
stow funeral honors upon deceased members who 
had not advanced to the third degree. Those of 
the first and second degree can not thus be hon- 
ored. They are not entitled to funeral obsequies, 
nor are they allowed to attend a Masonic funeral 
procession. (Webb's Monitor, pp. 132-133.) 

Again : Though Masonry makes professions of 
universal benevolence on the ground " that the ra- 



THEIR EXCLUSIVENESS. 49 



diant arch of Masonry spans the whole habitable 
globe;" though it declares that every true and wor- 
thy brother of the order, no matter what be hi* 
language, country, religion, creed, opinions, politics, 
or condition, is a legitimate object for the exercise 
of benevolence, (Masonic Constitutions, by Grand 
Lodge of Ohio, p. 80); still it is declared that 
" Master Masons only are entitled to Masonic 
burial or relief from the charity fund." (Masonic 
Constitutions by Grand Lodge of Ohio, p. 39.) 
The rulers of Masons can not be chosen from the 
members of the first or second degree. It is thus 
seen that the first two degrees serve as a sort of 
substratum on which the other degrees rest, and 
the " honors and benefits" are not intended for 
persons of the former. 

The exclusiveness and selfishness of other secret 
associations are also apparent from their regula- 
tions. As shown above, they exclude all diseased 
and infirm persons from membership, and of course 
from all the " benefits." They generally provide 
that, in case of sickness or disability, a member 
shall receive three dollars per week, and in case of 
the death of a member, the sum of thirty dollars 
shall be contributed toward defraying his funeral 
expenses. But all the associations making such 
regulations also provide that a member who is in 
4 



50 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



" arrears for clues" sliall receive no aid in case of 
sickness or disability ; and in case of the death of a 
member who is " in arrears for dues" nothing shall 
be contributed to defray his funeral expenses, and 
his wife and children, however destitute they may 
be, can receive no aid. In such cases, the destitute 
widow and orphans must not look to " the charita- 
ble association " of which the departed husband 
and father was a member, but to outsiders — yes, to 
"prejudiced and ignorant" outsiders — for aid to 
bury his dead body with decency. Grosch says, 
" The philosopher's stone is found by the Odd- 
fellow in three words, Pay in advance. There are 
few old members of the order who can not relate 
some case of peculiar hardship caused by non- 
payment of dues. Some good but careless brother, 
who neglected this small item of duty until he was 
suddenly called out of this life, was found to be 
not beneficial, and his widow and orphans, when 
most in need, were left destitute of all legal claims 
on the funds he had for years been aiding to accu- 
mulate." (Monitor, p. 198, 199.) Such facts a£ 
these prove secret associations to be exclusive, 
heartless, selfish concerns. (See Constitution of 
Druids, Art. 2, Sec. 1, and By-laws, Art. 11, Sec. 1 ; 
Constitution of Good-fellows, Art. 16, Sec. 1 ; Con- 
stitution of Amer. Prot. Asso., Art. 9, Sec. 1-5.) 



FALSE CLAIMS. 51 



CHAPTER VI. 

FALSE CLAIMS. 

1 Another very serious objection to secret so- 
cieties is that they set up false claims. No doubt 
a secret association may exist without doing so, but 
the setting up of false claims is the legitimate re- 
sult and the usual accompaniment of secrecy. The 
object of secrecy is deception. When a man en- 
deavors to conceal his business affairs, it is with 
the design of taking advantage of the ignorance of 
others. Napoleon once remarked, " The secret of 
majesty is mystery." This keen observer knew 
that the false claims of royalty would become con- 
temptible but for the deceptiou which kings and 
queens practice on mankind. We have quoted above 
from a book, the reliability of which will not be 
called in question, to show that the design of se- 
crecy, on the part of Masons, is to take advantage 
of " a weakness in human nature," and to invest 
with a charm things which, if generally known, 
" would sink into disregard," So, also, " the aid of 
the mysterious" is resorted to by Odd-fellows to 



52 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



render their " meetings attractive/' and to " stim- 
ulate applications for membership." (Proceedings of 
Grand Lodge, 1859, App., p. 10.) It will scarcely 
be disputed that such is the design of the conceal- 
ment practiced by secret associations in general. It 
is thus shown that secrecy is . the result of an un- 
willingness to rely upon real merit and the sober 
judgment of mankind for success, and of a desire, 
on the part of associations practicing it, to pass for 
what they are not. Hence, the design of secrecy 
involves hypocrisy, or something very much like it. 
2. But, whatever may be the, design of secrecy, 
secret associations do set up false claims. They 
all, or almost all, claim to be charitable institu- 
tions. This is the frequent boast of Masons and 
Odd-fellows. Moore, in his " Constitutions," de- 
clares that " charity and hospitality are the distin- 
guishing characteristics." of Masonry. (P. 71.) 
In the charge to a " Master Mason," at his initia- 
tion, it is declared that " Stasonic charity is as 
broad as the mantle df heaven and co-extensive 
with the boundaries of the world." (Masonic Con- 
stitutions, published by the Grand Lodge of Ohio, 
p. 80.) "The Right Worthy Grand Representa- 
tive," Boylston, in his oration delivered in New 
York, April 26, 1859, declared that Odd-fellowship 
is " most generally known and commended by its 



FALSE CLAIMS. 53 



charities. " (Proceedings of Grand Lodge, 1859, 
App., p. 6.) Such is the style in which secret 
associations glorify themselves. Such boasting, 
however, is not good. It is contrary to the com- 
mand of our Savior : " Therefore, when thou doest 
thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as 
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the 
streets, that they may have glory of men." The 
boasting of secret associations about their charities 
is precisely what our Savior not only forbids, but 
also declares to be characteristic of hypocrites. 
And such boasting is, indeed, generally vain. When 
a man boasts of any thing, whether of his wealth, 
pedigree, bravery, wisdom, or honesty, there is 
good reason to suspect that his claims are not well 
founded. Hence, the very boasting of secret asso- 
ciations about their benevolence and charities is 
presumptive evidence that their claims to the rep- 
utation of being charitable institutions are hypo- 
critical and false. 

3. Iu the first place, " the benefits " are confined 
to their own members. The excuse for secrecy, in 
some instances, is that it is necessary in order that 
aid may not be obtained by persons who are not mem- 
bers. In the " charge " delivered to a Master Mason 
at his initiation, he is enjoined to exercise benev- 
olence toward " every true and worthy brother of 



54 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



the Order." In Bcylston's address which we have 
already quoted from several times, "the well-earned 
glory of Odd-fellows" is declared to consist in this : 
that " no worthy Odd -fellow has ever sought aid 
and been refused." (Proceedings of Grand Lodge, 
1859, App., p. 9.) It is provided in the Constitu- 
tion of Odd-fellows, Good-fellows, etc., that aid 
shall be given to members under certain circum- 
stances ; but it will be in vain to search in them 
for any regulation providing for relief to any but 
members and their families. The provision found 
in the constitution or by-laws of almost every se- 
cret association that members " in arrears for dues " 
shall not be entitled to "benefits," plainly shows 
that their vaunted " charity " is restricted to their 
own members. This would not be so bad were it 
not for the fact that they carefully exclude from 
membership all who need aid or are likely to need 
aid. The Masons, according to their Constitutions, 
must not receive as a member any man who is not 
" physically perfect." Th constitutions of other 
secret orders exclude all who are diseased or infirm 
in body, or who have no means of support/ They 
exclude the blind, the lame, the maimed, the dis- 
eased, the destitute, the widow and the orphan, and 
all who are wretchedly poor or can not support 
themselves, and they cut off all such persons, to- 



FALSE CLAIMS. 55 



getlier with their own members who "are in ar- 
rears,'* from the " benefits." Yet they talk abiut the 
universal brotherhood of men, and claim for them- 
selves the possession of universal benevolence! 

4. Still further : The relief afforded to members 
is not to be regarded as a charity. The amount 
granted in all cases is the same. The constitutions 
of most secret associations that give aid to mem- 
bers provide that three dollars a week shall be 
given in case of sickness, and thirty dollars in case 
of death. The amount given does not correspond 
to the condition of the recipient. The rich and 
the poor fare alike. The member " in arrears " is not 
entitled to any aid. It is only the worthy brother 
who is entitled to aid, and in order to be a worthy 
brother a member must punctually pay his " dues." 
Hence, the amount bestowed in case of the sick- 
ness or death of a member is to be regarded as a 
debt. The "Druids," in their Constitution, ex- 
pressly declare that the aid given to sick members 
is not to be regarded in any other light than as 
the payment of a debt " All money paid by the 
grove for the relief of sick members shall not be 
considered as charity, but as the just due of the 
sick." (Art, 2, Sec. 7.) Boylston, in his oration, 
though boasting of the "charities" of Odd-fellow- 
ship, declares that they do not wound or insult the 



56 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



pride of the receiver, for the reason " that the re- 
lief extended is not of grace, but of right." (Pro- 
ceedings of Grand Lodge, 1859, Appendix, p. 6.) 
Grosch, in his Odd-fellows' Manual, in justifying 
equality in dues and in benefits, says : " He who 
did not pay an equivalent would feel degraded at 
receiving benefits — would feel that they were not 
his just due, but alms." (P. 66.) It is, hence, seen 
that the aid bestowed by secret societies is no more 
a gift of charity than the dividends of a bank or of 
a railroad company. The stockholders are entitled 
to their share of the profits ; so members of secret 
societies are entitled to a certain share of the funds 
to which they have contributed. We say nothing 
for or against the propriety of this arrangement, in 
itself considered. Persons have, perhaps, a right 
to form themselves into a mutual insurance com- 
pany, to bargain with one another that they will 
aid each other in case of sickness or want ; that in 
case of the death of any of the members, their fam- 
ilies shall be provided for by the surviving mem- 
bers ; that only the members who continue to pay 
into the common fund a certain sum monthly or 
quarterly shall receive such aid; that no money 
shall be paid out of the common fund for the ben- 
efit of any who are not members, or of their fam- 
ilies ; and that all diseased and infirm persons, and 



FALSE CLAIMS. 57 



very poor people, such as "have no visible means 
of support/' and are likely to need pecuniary aid, 
shall be excluded from the company and from its 
benefits. Perhaps men have a right to form them- 
selves into an association with such regulations ; 
perhaps they have a right to leave " an unworthy 
brother" (a member who fails to pay his " quarterly 
dues") and his family to the charities of " ignorant 
and prejudiced " people who will not join secret so- 
cieties ; and in case of the death of such a member, 
to ieave his poor heart-broken widow to beg of the 
same " ignorant and prejudiced " outsiders enough 
of money to bury his dead body decently ; but they 
have no right to call themselves a charitable associa- 
tion. It is probable that many Masons, Odd-fellows, 
Good-fellows, etc., are kind to " unworthy breth- 
ren," and to the poor in general; but if so, they 
are better than the associations of which they are 
members. Bankers and money-brokers, no doubt, 
sometimes show kindness to the poor, but it does 
not hence follow that banks -and money-shaving 
establishments are charitable institutions. Neither 
does it follow that secret societies are charitable 
because their members, in case of sickness or death, 
are cl titled to a certain portion of the funds which 
they themselves have contributed as initiation fees 
and quarterly dues, while those who are in real 



58 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



want can not even become members. What charity 
is there in persons pledging themselves to aid each 
other in sickness or other misfortune, and to let 
widows and orphans, the lame and the diseased, 
and the wretchedly poor, perish with hunger and 
cold ? It may not be improper for A, B, and C to 
promise that they will take care of each other in 
sickness, and that in case of the death of one of 
them his dead body shall be buried by the sur- 
vivors. It may, also, not be improper for a man 
to get his life or his property insured. Insurance 
companies have done much good. Many a man has 
been saved from pecuniary ruin by getting his 
property insured, and many a man has secured a 
competence for his wife and children by getting his 
life insured. Individuals and families have prob- 
ably been oftener saved from worldly ruin by in- 
surance companies than by secret societies. The 
association of A, B, and C may do some good. 
They have a right to agree to aid one another. 
They may, perhaps, have a right to say that D, E, 
and P, who are very poor, or are enfeebled by dis- 
ease, shall not join them, and shall not be aided 
by them; but they have no right to represent their 
exclusive, selfish association as a charitable one. 
Such a representation would be false, and the wick- 
edness of making it wholly inexcusable. We do 



FALSE CLAIMS. 59 



not blame Odd-fellows, Good-fellows ; Druids, or any 
other association for acting as mutual insurance 
companies. We do not blame them for agreeing 
that they will take care of each other or of each 
other's families. We are not now blaming them 
for excluding from their associations and from " the 
benefits " disbursed by them, the blind, the lame, 
the diseased, and the very poor who have no means 
of support, though this feature of such associations 
does seem very repulsive. We are not now con- 
demning them for casting off all those who do not 
pay their " dues," those who become very poor and 
can not as well as the rich who will not, and for 
cutting off all such persons from all " benefits of 
whatsoever kind," though such treatment does seem 
to us selfish, cruel, and mean ; we do not now ar- 
raign them for any of these things, however un- 
generous, exclusive, and selfish they appear to us, 
but we do say that any association which thus 
practices, and professes, and calls itself a charitable 
one is a cheat and a sham. Those secret societies 
which glorify themselves on account of their char- 
ities and universal brotherhood and benevolence, 
can be acquitted of willful deceit and falsehood 
only on the ground that they are blinded by preju- 
dice or ignorance, or both. 

The pretentious character of secret associations 



60 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



appears, also, in their claims to be the possessors 
and disseminators of knowledge and morality. Their 
members seem to think a man can scarcely be good 
and intelligent without being "initiated." Webb 
delares " Masonry is a progressive science. * * Ma- 
sonry includes within its circle almost every branch 
of polite learning." (Monitor, p. 53.) 'Masonry is 
not only the most ancient, but the most moral institu- 
tion that ever subsisted." (Monitor, p. 39.) Grosch, 
in his Manual, speaking of the shining sun as an 
emblem, says : u So Odd-fellowship is dispersing the 
mists from the advancing member's mind, and re- 
vealing things as they are ; so, also, it is enlighten- 
ing the world," etc. (Manual, p. 120.) The ex- 
travagance and absurdity of these claims must be 
evident to every prejudicial mind. It may be said, 
indeed, the above declarations express the opinions 
only of individuals, and that associations can not 
justly be charged with the errors of their mem- 
bers. We maintain, however, that secret societies 
are responsible for the vain boasting of their mem- 
bers. They claim that their members are a chosen 
board, a select few, who, by virtue of their associa- 
tion, are superior to the rest of mankind. Their pro- 
cessions and parades, their regalia and emblems, and 
their high-sounding titles are evidently designed to 
impress the minds of their own members and of out- 



FALSE CLAIMS. 61 



siders with ideas of their excellence and grandeur. 
Their high-sounding titles have already been ad- 
verted to as involving the sin of profaneness; but 
they serve equally well to illustrate the pretentious 
character of the associations which employ them. 
Almost every o nicer among the Masons has some 
great title. There is the Grand Tyler, Grand Stew- 
ard, Grand Treasurer, Grand Secretary, Grand Chap- 
lain, and Grand Master. The Lodge itself is grand , 
and, of course, every thing and every body connected 
with it are grand. The treasurer, though his duty 
be merely to count and hold a little vile trash called 
money, is grand; almost every officer is a grand 
man. 

These titles, however, do not give an adequate 
idea of the grandeur to which "sublime" Ma- 
sonry ascends. They have their Right Worship- 
ful Deputy Grand Master, their Right Worshipful 
Grand Treaurer, Most Worshipful Grand Master, 
Most Eminent Grand Commander, Thrice Illus- 
trious Grand Puissant, Most Excellent Grand High 
Priest, etc. (Consstitution of Grand Lodge of Ohio, 
Art. 5., Webb's Monitor, pp. 187, 219, 284.) Other 
associations employ similar titles; indeed, Masonry, 
as the oldest association, seems to have been copied 
| after by the rest. The Odd-fellows have almost 
the same parades, shows, and titles as the Masons. 



62 vSECRET SOCIETIES. 



They have their aprons, ribbons, rosettes, and 
drawn swords; and they endeavor, by these and 
other clap-trap means, to recommend their associa- 
tion as a grand affair. They, too, have their Right 
Worthy Grand Lodge, Most Worthy Grand Master, 
Right Worthy Grand Secretary, Right Worthy 
Grand Treasurer, Right Worthy Grand Chap- 
lain, etc. 

We think it strange that men of sense should 
employ such titles. They would be ridiculous even 
applied to the greatest and best man that ever 
lived. They are more ridiculous than the bombas- 
tic titles given to civil officers in barbarous coun- 
tries. The Sublime Porte of Turkey is outdone in 
this respect by secret associations in the United 
States. 

6. The absurdity of these high-sounding titles 
and other puerilities is further seen from the char- 
acter of those who compose the associations which 
employ them. They boast that they receive as 
members almost all sorts of men except atheists; 
that men of every religious sect and every nation 
meet in their lodges as loving brethren, and on a 
perfect equality; that they welcome the Jew, the 
Arab, the Chinaman, the American savage, the in- 
fidel, and the Christian, provided they be sound in 
body and be able to support themselves; yet the 



FALSE CLAIMS. 63 



officers elected by the lodges or squads of such 
persons, Jews, Arabs, Chinamen, savages, infidels 
and Christians, become Most Eminent Grand Com- 
manders, Thrice Illustrious Puissants, etc. Yea, 
since brotherhood and equality characterize these 
associations, the Jew, the Arab, the Chinaman, and 
the infidel are eligible to any office, and may be- 
fconie Most Worshipful Grand Commanders and 
Most Excellent Grand High Priests. 

All this is calculated to produce laughter and con- 
tempt; but such is not the design. The design of 
those who make use of these grand titles and other 
clap-trap things is to recommend their associations 
as an excellent and grand affair. The design itself, 
and the means employed for its accomplishment, 
must, certainly, be condemned by every unpreju- 
diced Christain mind. 

CONCLUSION. 

We have thus briefly stated the objectionable 
features of what are generally called secret so- 
cieties. It is mainly to their secrecy, oaths, and 
promises, their profanation of holy things, their ex- 
clusiveness and their setting up of false claims, to 
which we object. These are the things objected to 
in the foregoing treatise. We have written with- 
out any feeling of unkindness, and we trust, also, 



64 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



without prejudice. We had intended to urge ad- 
ditional considerations to show the evil nature and 
tendency of secret societies; but we have been re 
strained by the fear of swelling our treatise beyond 
a proper size. 



SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECEET 
SOCIETIES ? 



SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET 
SOCIETIES? 



11 With charity for all and with malice toward 
none," we bring this question to all those who 
would serve Christ. We mean by " secret socie- 
ties" not literary, scientific, or college associations, 
which merely use privacy as a screen against intru- 
sion, but those affiliated and centralized " orders " 
spreading over the land, professing mysteries, prac- 
ticing secret rites, binding by oaths, admitting by 
signs and pass-words, solemnly pledging their mem- 
bers to mutual protection, and commonly con- 
structed in " degrees," each higher one imposing 
fresh fees, oaths, and obligations, and swearing the 
initiated to secrecy even from lower " degrees" in 
the same Order. 

Shall Christians join societies of this kind? 

Supposing it to be innocent, will it pay ? 

First. They consume time and money. Have 
you considered how much? How many evenings, 
and whole nights, and parts of days ? How many 

(67) 



68 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



dollars in fees, dues, fines, expenses, and diminished 
proceeds from broken days? Will it pay? Can 
you not lay out this amount of time and money 
more profitably? — a plain man's question. They 
propose helping you to "friends," "business," in 
"moral reform," in "sickness, death, and bereave- 
ment; " but can you not get as much of such good 
in ways pointed out to you by Christ, your best 
and wisest friend? — ways which will yield you 
more of personal cultivation, spiritual good, earthly 
profit, social and domestic happiness, and openings 
for usefulness. If so, these orders are unprofit- 
able, and will not pay. 

Secondly, They furnish inferior security for in- 
vestments. As mutual insurance societies, they are 
irresponsible, and more liable to corruption, just 
because they are secret. Do they make " reports " 
to the public or the Legislature? Do they make 
any adequate " report " to the mass even of their 
own members? Millions and millions are known to 
have gone into the treasury of a single one of 
these organizations. No dividends are declared, no 
expenditures published. Where is the money ? 
Were it not safer to invest the same amount in 
companies where every proceeding is open to public 
eye and public judgment? Would you not, then, be 
safer ? If so, it will not pay to join these orders. 



SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 69 



IS IT OBLIGATORY? 

First. Charity has no need of them. They are 
not truly charitable institutions. " Mutual insur- 
ance societies " they may be, though of an inferior 
sort, as we have seen ; but that does not elevate 
them into charitable institutions. To bestow on 
your widow and orphans, your sickness, and funeral 
some pittance, or the whole of what you paid dur- 
ing health and life, is not benevolence. 

But, further, it is well to ask, in determining how 
greatly charity depends on them, how broadly they 
go forth among the poor outside their membership. 
During the anti-masonic excitement of 1826-1830 
some two thousand lodges suspended. The result- 
ant suffering was less, perhaps, than what would fol- 
low the suspension of a single soup association, any 
winter, in some city. Blot out the whole, and how 
small the injury to the charities of the country ! 

The Church of Christ is commanded to " do good 
unto all men " — " to remember the poor." It is 
engaged in this work. It blows no trumpet — it 
does not parade its charities ; but it shrinks from 
comparison with no one of these orders, nor with 
all of them combined. Christians need not to go 
into them to preserve charity alive, or to find the 
best ways of exercising their own. 

Secondly. Morality does not depend on them. 



70 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



We need say nothing of " what is done of them in 
secret." But, looking at what is open to all, we 
ask, What work are they doing worthy of so much 
organization, and expense, and time to reclaim the 
fallen, to banish vice, and to save its victim ? We 
have heard them refusing him admission or cutting 
him off, but we have not heard of any consider- 
able aid which they have given to public or private 
morality. And, further, do we not find them nar- 
rowing the circle of obligation, substituting attach- 
ment and* duty to an order for love and obligations 
to mankind ? Membership in a lodge, not character, 
is held to make one " worthy," opening the way to 
favor and society. But can all this be done with- 
out sensibly weakening the fundamental supports of 
morality, without lessening its broad requirements ? 
Thirdly. Patriotism has no need of them. They 
tend to destroy citizenship, to exalt love of an order 
above the love of country. The boast during the 
late rebellion was sometimes heard that their mem- 
bers, owing to the oaths of mutual protection, were 
safer among the rebels than other captives. Was 
the converse true ? Were rebels, being Freemasons, 
safe or safer against restraint and due punishment 
when falling captive to those of their order ? How 
far does all this extend ? To courts and suits at law? 
Are criminals as safe or safer *feefore judge and 






SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 71 



jury of their order ? Have rebellion and vice found 
greater security here ? This boast is confession — 
confession that the ties of an order are stronger and 
more felt than is consistent with a proper love of 
country. Is justice thus to be imperiled? Are se- 
curities of property and rights thus to be imperiled? 
Must we beggar ourselves by paying fees and dues 
to one another of these orders, now becoming more 
plentiful every decade, to make sure of standing on 
equal footing and impartiality with others, in the 
courts and elsewhere, and imagine that all this is 
helpful to patriotism or even consistent with it? 

Fourthly. Religion has no need of them. " The 
church is the pillar and ground of the truth. " 
" The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
The preaching of Christ and him crucified is and 
must continue to be the wisdom of God and the 
power of God unto salvation. Religion, then, has 
no need of these secret orders. 

We come now to this : Neither charity, morality, 
patriotism, nor religion imposes obligations on us 
to join them. It will not pay was our first fact. 
"VVe have now reached this other, that no considera- 
tion of duty requires it. But, 

IS IT RIGHT ? 

First. Christ, our Master, neither instituted nor 
countenanced these orders. 



72 SECRET SOCIETIES, 



Heviewing his whole earthly ministry, he said 
(John xviii: 20): "I spake openly to the -world;" 
and "in secret lave I said nothing." By this 
double affirmation he strongly suggested his prefer- 
ence for open, unsecret ways and proceedings. 

Secondly. In those rites, proceedings, and regalia 
which do appear, these orders are frivolous, belit- 
tling, and unworthy of respect. If the revealed 
are such,- what must the unrevealed be? 

Thirdly. These orders stand convicted of deceit 
and falsehood. They profess secrets and mysteries 
worth buying. Hundreds of high-minded men, of 
irreproachable character and integrity, who have, 
therefore, "renounced these hidden things of dis- 
honesty," testify over their own signatures, that 
their secrets are but signs, pass-words, ceremonies, 
etc., covering nothing but emptiness and vanity. 

Fourthly. These orders are unfriendly to domestic 
happiness and well-being, breaking in upon the sacred 
confidence and unity of husband and wife, pledging 
him to conceal from her the proceedings of perhaps 
fifty nights yearly, thus often sowing seeds of dis- 
trust, filling his breast with what must not be di- 
vulged to her, involving him in affairs and habits 
not unfrequently injurious to the best interests and 
state of the family. 

Fifthly. These orders are hostile to the heavenly- 






SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 73 



mindedness, the spirituality of those who join them. 
We speak from much testimony. " Let him that 
tliinketh he standeth take heed." The prudent man 
foreseeth the evil, but the foolish pass on and are 
punished. This voice of one is that of many con- 
curring wise, faithful, and godly men, viz.: a I am 
afraid of these secret societies ; they have sucked 
the spirituality out of all the members in our church 
who have joined them." Young, promising Chris- 
tians have often been blighted by them. The fer- 
vor of piety, interest in the church and its work, 
interest in Christ and his people, interest in God's 
Word and Spirit, all the various elements of an 
earnest life of faith and heavenly-mindedness have 
been blighted in these lodges. And in urging this, 
we appeal to so many witnesses, and cover so wide a 
field of observation, as to make it certain that this 
is not the exceptional but the ordinary result. 

Sixthly. These orders tend to destroy Christian 
fellowship. Let them grow until a given church is 
broken into squads, each pledged to secrets from 
the other, but bound within itself by special ties ; 
give to each its own weekly meeting, mysteries, 
rites, signs, grips, pass-words ; let each be sworn to 
provide for, protect, shield, and love its own adher- 
ents above others, and is not " church fellowship } 
annihilated? Can the Spirit of Christ flow freely 



74 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



from member to member through such partitions? 
Is this " one body in Christ, and every one mem- 
bers one of another ?" 

Seventhly. These orders tend to subject the church 
to u the world 11 in some of its dearest interests. For 
example : When a few leading members join a 
neighboring lodge, and make vows to the " strange" 
brotherhood, how easy for that lodge to interfere 
secretly but controllingly in its discipline of mem- 
bers, or in its selection or dismission of a pastor ! 
These suggestions are not merely imaginary. Sub- 
jection of the church, in this way, to the cunning 
craftiness of evil and designing men is no mere dream. 

Eighthly. These orders dishonor Christ. Those 
claims which he makes for himself are disallowed. 
He is required to disappear or find a place amidst 
other objects for worship. There is a necessity, be- 
cause these orders are designed for adherents of all 
religions. Were they on the footing of an insur- 
ance company or a merchants' exchange, or any 
similar body, this fact would not be so. But they 
profess to include religion among their elements, 
and its services, in whole or in part, among their 
ceremonies. They have prayers and solemn relig- 
ious rites. And in these Christ is dishonored. His 
exclusive claims are disallowed or ignored, and this 
not by accident, but of set purpose. Out of twenty* 






SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 75 



three forms of prayer in the " New Masonic Trestle- 
Board," (Boston edition, 1850,) only one even al- 
ludes to him, and that one in a non-committal way. 
These secret orders are under bonds not to honor 
Christ as he claims, lest the Jew, or the Deist, or 
the Mohammedan, all of whom they seek to enroll 
in equal membership, should be offended. When 
the higher " degrees " of Masonry allude to Christ 
and Christianity, it is but as one amidst many 
equals. We repeat it : Did these orders stand on the 
same footing with mercantile or other bodies in this 
matter, this objection might go for nothing ; but 
they do not. Unlike them, they profess to have 
religious services. Indeed, they often boast of their 
religiousness, and avow their full equality in this 
with the church of God itself! Yet, if you join 
them, their " constitutions " prohibit you acknowl- 
edging, in their boasted religious services, what 
Christ, your Lord, not only claims for himself, but 
commands you to give unto him : that glory which 
is due to his holy name. Are they, then, not Anti- 
christ in this thing? And can you, without sin, 
consent to it, or uphold institutions which forbid 
you and others, in religious services, to honor him 
ss your God and Savior, and which thus place him 
on the same level with Zoroaster, Confucius, or 
Mohammed ? 



76 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



Ninthly. These orders — the things now alleged he- 
ing true — impede the cause and kingdom of God, and 
are, therefore, hostile to the largest, best, and deepest 
interests of mankind. Recognizing this, churches, 
conferences, associations, synods, and many emi- 
nently godly men, living and dead, have put forth 
their solemn testimony against them. Great law- 
yers, like Samuel Dexter ; great patriots and states- 
men, like Adams, and Webster, and Everett ; great 
communities, like the American people from 1826 
to 1830, have united to declare them not only 
"wrong in their very principles," but "noxious to 
mankind." But many Christians, rising higher and 
standing on " a more sure word of prophecy," have 
discovered in them the enemies of the Gospel and 
of the cross of Christ. Following him, their great 
exemplar in philanthropy as in godliness, who did 
nothing in secret, they refuse to have fellowship 
with the unfruitful works of darkness, choosing 
rather to reprove them. 

Shall Christians join secret societies? 

Will it pay? Are they under obligation to do 
so ? Fellow-disciple, brother man, have you doubt 
on these questions ? If it will not pay ; if you are 
under no obligation to do it; if you have any 
doubt of its rightfulness, it is most assuredly your 
duty to refuse any connection with them. 



SHALL CHRISTIANS JOIN SECRET SOCIETIES? 77 



We have no wish to press our reasoning beyond 
just limits. We have sought to avoid extreme 
statements. We now ask you whether, in the light 
of what has been brought to view, the weight of 
argument is not against your joining these orders 
and lending them aid? Even should you be able to 
stand up against their tendency to lower your per- 
sonal piety and injure your Christian character, have 
we not here one of those cases where many broth- 
ers are offended or made weak? The Lord Jesus 
has said, " Whoso offends one of these little [or 
weak] ones, it were better for him that a mill-stone 
were hanged about his neck and he were drowned 
in the depths of the sea." Will you, then, how- 
ever safe yourself, be the means, 'by your example, 
of bringing weaker brethren into such dangers? 
a We, then, that are strong ought to bear the bur- 
dens of the weak, and not please ourselves." " It 
is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor 
to do any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is 
offended [caused to sin] or is made weak." These 
words are not ours ; they are God's. 

Christian disciple, decide this question of secret 
societies with candor, with solemn prayer, and with 
a purpose to please God. 



A PAPER ADOPTED BY 

THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OP 

ILLINOIS. 



. * 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 



A Paper adopted by the General Association of Illinois of the 
Congregational Churches, at their meeting in Ottawa, 1866. 



The topics committed to us involve the follow- 
ing points : 

1. The moral character of secrecy. Is it an ele- 
ment of an invariable moral character? and, if so, 
what ? and, if not, what are the decisive criteria of 
its character? 

2. Associations or combinations involving secrecy. 
Are they of necessity right or wrong ? If not, what 
are the decisive criteria? 

3. Religious rites and worship in societies or 
organizations, open or secret. Are any kind allow- 
able ? and, if so, what? 

I. Secrecy. Its character. 

A presumption against secrecy arises from the 

known fact that evil-doers of all kinds resort to 

secrecy. This is for two reasons : (1.) To avoid 

opposition and retribution ; and, (2,) to avoid ex- 

6 (81) 



82 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



posure to disgrace. The adulterer seeks secrecy ; 
so do tlie thief and the counterfeiter ; so do con- 
spirators for evil ends. 

Secrecy, whenever resorted to for evil ends, is 
wrong. But may it not be resorted to for good 
ends? and is it not recognized as often wise and 
right in the Word of God? We answer in the 
affirmative. There is a certain degree of reserve, 
or secrecy, that should invest every individual. 
Our whole range of thought and feeling ought not 
to be promiscuously made known. There is a de- 
gree of secrecy necessary in the order, social inter- 
course, and discipline of the family. There is se- 
crecy needed in dealing with faults and sins. Christ 
adopts this principle in his discipline. He says, 
u Tell him his fault between him and thee alone. 
If he repents, conceal it." There are confidential 
communications for important ends, or for council. 

Concealment may be used as a defense against 
enemies, as in the case of the spies of Joshua, or 
the messengers of David, or when Elisha hid him- 
self by the brook Oherith, by God's order. So God 
hides the good in his secret place and under his 



wings. 



Secrecy is opposed to ostentation and love of hu- 
man applause. Hence, alms and prayer are to be 
in secret. God also resorts to secrecy in an emi- 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 83 



nent degree. He hides himself. He dwells in 
thick darkness. It is his glory to conceal his de- 
signs. In part, this is inevitable by reason of his 
| greatness ; in part, he resorts to it of set purpose. 
It is a special honor and blessing of the good 
i that he discloses his secrets to them. 

Secrecy, then, is not of necessity wrong. Its 
i character depends upon the ends for which it is 
. used, and the circumstances and spirit in which it 
: is used. There is a secrecy of wisdom, love, and 
i justice, as well as a secrecy of selfish, malevolent, 
and evil deeds. 

II. Secret societies. 

Of these there may be two degrees. 

1. Where not only the proceedings of the society 
are secret, but even the existence of such a society 
is concealed. 

2. Where the existence is avowed, and the signs 
and proceedings only are secret. 

In associations, secrecy may be resorted to in 
both these ways for evil ends. Men may combine 
in associated societies to prey on the community, 
• and the existence of such societies be hidden. 
Counterfeiters, horse-thieves, burglars, may thus 
associate for wrong, in the deepest secrecy. 

So, too, secret associations whose existence is 
avowed may combine for selfish ends, and in dero- 



84 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



gation of the common rights of the social system. 
They may defend their members, to the injury of 
justice, in our courts. They may interfere with 
the management of churches and societies. They 
may bring an influence of intimidation to bear on 
public men. They may disseminate false principles 
of religion and morals. They may co-operate for 
political ends, and to effect revolutions. 

And yet it is no less true that, in certain circum- 
stances, secret societies of both kinds may be re- 
sorted to for good ends. 

Secret societies may be rightfully resorted to for 
common council and united action, in the fear of 
God and with prayer, in a very dangerous state of 
the body politic, to resist incumbent evils, and the 
existence of such societies not be disclosed, if the 
state of the case would thus give them greater 
power for good. So, as a defense against known 
disloyal secret organizations, secret loyal leagues 
were rightfully resorted to as a means of united 
and concentrated action against organized disloy- 
alty. And if, in resisting moral evils, secrecy gives 
power and advantage in devisiog measures to resist 
vice and crime, it is not sinful to resort to it. 

All boards of trust generally have secret sessioDS, 
and legislative bodies resort to secret sessions right- 
fully, if the state of affairs demands it. 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 85 



It will be seen that secrecy is justified and de- 
manded by peculiar circumstances or obvious ends 
to be gained. The reason of the case, therefore, is 
against secrecy, and in favor of open action, where 
no such justification can be made out. It is the 
nature of truth and right to be open. All things 
tend to it. There is nothing covered or concealed 
that shall not finally be proclaimed. 

On the other hand, if secrecy is resorted to with- 
out reason ; if it is made the basis of false pre- 
tences ; if it assumes the existence of something 
that is not, then it is not defensible. If it involves 
a profession of information to be communicated, and 
influences for good to be exerted, that do not exist, 
then it is a species of intellectual swindling which 
admits of no defense. The sciences and arts, the 
Bible and nature, are open to all. So is the book 
of history. What new science, or art, or history, or 
religion is there for secret societies to disclose ? 

III. Religious rites or worship in societies, open 
or secret — are any allowable ? and, if so, what ? 

In order to answer this question, we need to con- 
sider certain fundamental and vital principles of 
Christianity. 

1. All men, as depraved and guilty, need regen- 
eration and pardon through the intervention of 
Christ. 



86 SECRET SOCIETIES. 






2. There is access to the true God only through 
Christ : "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 
No man cometh unto the Father but through me." 

3. " Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath 
not the Father ; but he that acknowledged the Son 
hath the Father also." 

All Christian churches are based on these truths, 
and the center and culmination of their worship is 
this recognition of Christ in the Sacrament as the 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the 
world. Christ, too, is the center of the worship 
of heaven. 

Hence, if Christians associate with others in wor- 
ship, it can rightly be only on the ground that the 
worship centers in Christ, and acknowledges him as 
Lord, to the glory of the Father. 

Hence, if, for the sake of extending an organization, 
men are admitted of all religions — Pagans, Moham- 
medans, Deists, Jews — and if, for the sake of accom- 
modating them with a common ground of union, 
Christ is ignored, and the God of nature or of crea- 
tion is professedly worshiped, and morality incul- 
cated solely on natural grounds, then such worship 
is not accepted by the real God and Father of the uni- 
verse, for he looks, on it as involving the rejection 
and dishonor, nay, the renewed crucifixion of his 
Son. As to Christ, he tolerates no neutrality. He 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 87 



who is not for him is against him. These princi- 
ples do not involve the question of secrecy. They 
hold true of all societies, open or secret. 

If, on such anti-Christian grounds, prayers are 
framed, rites established, and chaplains appointed, 
ignoring Christ and his intercession, God regards it 
as a mockery and an insult to himself and his 
church. In it is revealed the hatred of Satan to 
Christ. By it Christ is dethroned and Satan ex- 
alted. 

These principles do not exclude worship and 
prayer from societies. In any societies, true wor- 
ship in the name of Christ will be accepted. 

Let us now apply these principles to the societies 
of Free Masonry, the modern mother of secret so- 
cieties. Concerning these we hold it to be plain : 

That they have neither science nor art to impart 
as a reward of membership. The time was when 
there was a society, or societies, of working masons, 
coming down from the old Roman empire, and ex- 
tending through the middle ages. These were socie- 
ties of great power, and wrought great works. The 
cathedrals of the middle ages were each erected by 
such a corporation, and attest their skill and energy. 

But these corporations of working masons have 
passed away, and Masonry is now, even in profes- 
sion, only theoretical, and in fact, so far as this art 



88 SECRET SOCIETIES, 



is concerned, is not even this. It does not teach 
the theory of architecture. The transition took 
place in 1717, after a period of decline in the 
lodges of working masons. All pretences to a his- 
tory back of this, or to any connection with Solo- 
mon or Hiram, are mere false pretences and delu- 
sion for effect. No art is taught and no science is 
communicated by the system. 

Practical ends, then, alone remain; and, in fact, 
the founders of the system avowed " brotherly love, 
relief, and truth" as these ends. The cultivation 
of social intercourse is also avowed as an end by 
defenders of the system. But such ends as these 
furnish no good reasons for secrecy ; nor is secrecy 
favorable to a wise and economical use of the in- 
come of such bodies for purposes of benevolence. 
An open and public acknowledgment of receipts 
and expenditures is needed as a safeguard against 
a dishonest and wasteful expenditure of funds. 

Nor is this all. The secrecy of the order, taken 
in connection with the principle of hierarchal con- 
centration, and with the administration of extra- 
judicial oaths of obedience and secrecy, renders it, 
as a system, liable to great abuses in the perver- 
sion of justice, in the overriding of national law, 
and the claims of patriotism. 

But the most serious view of the case lies in the 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 



89 



fact that it professes to rest on a religious basis, 
and to have religious temples, yet is avowedly based 
on a platform that ignores Christ and Christianity 
as supreme and essential to true allegiance to the 
real God of the universe. Its worship, therefore, 
taken as a system, is in rivalry to and in derogation 
of Christ and Christianity. 

And, as a matter of fact, this and similar systems 
are by many regarded as a substitute for the church, 
or as superior to it. Moreover, devotion to them 
absorbs time and interest due to the church, and 
paralyzes Christians by association with worldly 
men, and by the malignant power of the spirit of 
the world. 

This system, and those who imitate its hierarchal 
and centralizing organization, also give power to 
those hierarchal principles and systems against 
which Congregationalism has ever protested as cor- 
rupting and enslaving the church. 

The system also cultivates a love of swelling 
titles, and of gaudy decorations and display *$ 
dress, that are hostile to the genius of our Consti- 
tution, and to true republican and Christian dignity 
and simplicity. 

From this system other organizations have bor- 
rowed much, and some do not essentially differ 
from it in practical working. 



90 SECRET SOCIETIES. 






Otlier organizations, however, for the ends of 
temperance reform, have adopted modes of organ- 
ization, display in dress, and secret signs for the 
purposes of recognition and defense. The ends and 
proceedings of these temperance societies are so 
well known that it is often denied that they are 
secret societies ; yet they do, avowedly for pur- 
poses of defense, resort to secrecy, and have imi- 
tated modes of dress and organization found in 
Masonry. And members of Masonic lodges declare 
that they involve, in fact, all the principles of 
Masonic organizations, and rely on them ultimately 
leading to their own order. 

"While we recognize the true devotion of the 
members of these societies to the cause of temper- 
ance, and acknowledge and commend their active 
efforts to resist the progress of one of the greatest 
evils of the age, we yet can not concede the wisdom 
or desirableness of a resort to principles and modes 
of action which tend to create a current toward 
other secret organizations not aiming at their ends, 
nor actuated by their spirit of temperance reform. 

In conclusion, we respectfully present the Asso- 
ciation the following principles foradoption: 

Resolved^ 1. That in dealing with secret organ- 
izations, this Association recognizes the need of a 



SECRET SOCIETIES. 91 



careful statement of principles and a wise discrim- 
ination of things that differ. 

2. That there are some legitimate concealments 
of an organized character — such as the privacies of 
the family and business firms, the temporary con- 
concealment of public negotiations at critical stages, 
the occasional withdrawal of scandals which could 
only disturb and demoralize communities, and the 
secrecy of military combinations; nor are we pre- 
pared totally to condemn all private plans and 
arrangements between good and true citizens, in 
great emergencies, to resist the machinations of the 
wicked. 

3. That organizations whose whole object "and 
general method are well understood, and are known 
to be laudable and moral — such as associations for 
purely literary or reformatory purposes — are not to 
be sweepingly condemned by reason of a thin veil 
of secrecy covering their precise methods of pro- 
cedure ; yet we deem that outer veil of secrecy to 
be unwise and undesirable, inasmuch as it holds out 
needless temptations to deeds of darkness, and gives 
unnecessary countenance to other and unlawful com- 
binations ; and, whenever the act of membership 
involves an unconditional oath or promise of sub- 
mission, adhesion, and concealment, under all cir- 
cumstnces, that compact is a grave moral wrong. 



92 SECRET SOCIETIES. 



4. That there are certain other wide-spread or- 
ganizations — such as Freemasonry — which, we sup- 
pose, are in their nature hostile to good citizenship 
and true religion, because they exact initiatory 
oaths of blind compliance and concealment incom- 
patible with the claims of equal justice toward man 
and a good conscience toward God ; because they 
may easily, and sometimes have actually, become 
combinations against the due process of law and gov- 
ernment; because, while claiming a religious char- 
acter, they, in their rituals, deliberately withhold 
all recognition of Christ as their only Savior, and 
of Christianity as the only true religion ; because, 
while they are, in fact, nothing but restricted part- 
nerships or companies for mutual insurance and 
protection, they ostentatiously parade this charac- 
terless engagement as a substitute for brotherly love 
and true benevolence ; because they bring good men 
in confidential relations to bad men; and because, 
while in theory, they supplant the church of Christ, 
they do also, in fact, largely tend to withdraw the 
sympathy and active zeal of professing Christians 
from their respective churches. Against all con- 
nections with such associations we earnestly advise 
the members of our churches, and exhort them, 
" Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbe- 
lievers." 



H 106 89 



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